Title: Radha or Rukmini

User: Swami Gaurangapada Date: 2007-03-12 17:51:40

 

 

Who was more important in status, the wife or beloved? Did Krishna really have 16,000 wives and 1, 80,000 children? If yes kindly justify and explain.

 

         

Answer by Swami Gaurangapada:

 

Lord Krishna is never classified in the ten avataras of Lord Vishnu by Shrila Jayadeva Goswami because Lord Krishna is actually the souce of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu is thus an expansion of an expansion of an expansion of an expansion of Lord Krishna. The heirarchy is as follows as described in Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita:

 

(1) Krishna or Gauranga

 

(2) Balarama or Nityananda

 

(3) Mula Sankarshana, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Vasudeva

 

(4) Narayana and all Vishnu Tattvas in Vaikuntha planets

 

(5) Maha Sankarshna, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Vasudeva

 

(6) Karanadokshayi Vishnu

 

(7) Garbhodakashayi Vishnu

 

(8) Kshirodakashayi Vishnu

 

(9) All incarnations like Matsya, Kurma, Varaha etc.

 

Just like Lord Krishna is the souce of Lord Vishnu similarly

Shrimati Radha is the original Energy of the Lord and the source of all the Queens in Dvaraka and the Lakshmis in Vaikuntha. The spiritual heirarchy is as follows:

 

(1) Shrimati Radha

 

(2) Gopies of Vrindavana expanded from Shri Radha

 

(3) Queens of Dvaraka are expansions of the Gopies like Rukmini and Satyabhama

 

(4) Lakshmis of Vaikuntha are the expansions of the Queens

 

(5) Mahamaya or Durga or Parvati